Posts Tagged ‘Pali canon’
Thought and Practice
How important is thought, reasoning, and cognition to our practice? Or is it just a kind of impediment? We’ll look at some material from early Buddhism for answers to this question.
Read MoreIs Buddhism Atheist?
Was the Buddha an atheist? Does one need to believe in God or gods to follow his system? This is a question with an interesting answer I think we can all learn from.
Read MoreOn Mettā
Where do the instructions for mettā practice come from? The suttas give relatively little instruction on what actually to do, beyond generating universal good will that we find in the Mettā Sutta (Sn. 143-152), and the practice of focusing on each direction, in an oft-cited pericope: [W]ith his heart filled with lovingkindness, he dwells suffusing…
Read MoreLoving Kindness Meditation: History and Practice
What is Loving Kindness (mettā) meditation and how did it develop? Many people today practice a form that probably originated centuries after the Buddha’s day.
Read MoreEarly Buddhism and Secular Buddhism
Folks interested in a secular approach to Buddhism will find many forms of Buddhism congenial. Why is early Buddhism particularly so? We will look at the Kevaddha Sutta (DN 11) and some material from Richard Gombrich, eminent scholar of early Buddhism, to help illuminate the discussion.
Read MoreAntidotes to the "Three Poisons"
The three poisons of greed, hatred, and delusion lie at the root of many of our problems. What can we do about them? In this video I outline some techniques from early Buddhist teachings.
Read MoreWhat is the Eightfold Path?
Many of us have heard of the Eightfold Path as perhaps the definitive description of Buddhist practice. What is it? Descriptions of the elements of the Eightfold Path can be found throughout the suttas, but a good quick rundown of the entire path can be found at Saṃyutta Nikāya 45.8.
Read MoreGood Books on Early Buddhism
Here are the books mentioned in the video: Bhikkhu Bodhi: In the Buddha’s Words Rupert Gethin: The Foundations of Buddhism Williams, Tribe, Wynne: Buddhist Thought Walpola Rahula: What the Buddha Taught Richard Gombrich: What the Buddha Thought Richard Gombrich: Theravāda Buddhism, 2nd Ed. Johannes Bronkhorst: Buddhist Teaching in India Anālayo: Satipaṭṭhāna, the Direct Path to…
Read MoreThe Buddha on Politics and Society
Here I refer to Bhikkhu Bodhi’s new anthology, The Buddha’s Teachings on Social and Communal Harmony. Please enjoy!
Read MoreWhat Is Dependent Arising?
By Linda Blanchard I said that dependent arising is both very simple, and very complex, but always helpful, and worth the effort to understand. Let me start with the very simple. It Really Is Simple Dependent arising says that we come into the world with certain drives that cause us to build a view of…
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